The Future needs the Past: Problems and Challenges of Post-Cataclysm Heritage Management in Kotagede, Jogjakarta Special Province, Indonesia

Abstract

In addition to traditional causes of decay, cultural heritage is increasingly threatened by natural
disasters. Earthquakes interrupt the historical continuity of place making and create an opportunity
to both reconstruct historical fabrics and to create new meanings and functions. As demonstrated in Kotagede, Jogjakarta Special Province, Indonesia, sustainable conservation should evolve with new contemporary needs and not be about making static museum places. Two case studies of post-calamity reconstruction illustrate the utilization of existing urban fabric, in which through redefi nition and reprogramming do not reveal solutions, but demonstrate the challenges in response to the urban dynamics after the 2006 earthquake.